1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording and reproducing system which records a plurality of substantially the same images on film and reproduces the plurality of images into a single image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, cameras have remarkably been reduced in size, and with the size reduction, compact cameras are rapidly spreading among ordinary users. Under such circumstances, disposable cameras have been put to practical use. Although slightly inferior in performance of the lens, the optical system of the camera of such a type is basically equivalent to the optical system of the normal camera in that images are focused on film by a single lens unit.
Moreover, some of the conventional image recorders such as cameras and the like are designed to record a plurality of images. For example, the following systems are known: firstly, a stereo type which exposes two images with a parallax therebetween on film by using two lenses arranged in parallel to realize a three-dimensional image by producing two images for the right eye and the left eye, respectively; secondly, a camera for continuous photography which performs continuous photographing to produce a plurality of images which are not the same but different in time; and thirdly, a camera for taking photographs for identification cards, drivers licenses, passports, etc. which produces images completely different in time.
However, in any of the above-mentioned conventional systems, although some have succeeded in reducing the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the systems with various ideas, no satisfactory results have been obtained with respect to the reduction in thickness associated with the optical system.
Specifically, in the first system of the type which produces a plurality of images, since this system is intended to produce two images for the left and right eyes in view of the parallax and not to produce a single image, the reduction in thickness of the system cannot be realized with a small number of lenses such as two lenses. In the second system of the continuous photography type, since it is a plurality of images that are finally obtained and the image is merely divided in a lateral direction, the reduction in thickness cannot be realized, either. In the third apparatus, it is a plurality of images that are finally obtained and the camera for taking photographs for identification cards, etc. takes a total of approximately four pictures of 2.times.2. However, with such a number of pictures, the realization in thickness reduction is hardly expected.
This is because, since the above-described conventional recording systems are each provided with an optical system for exposing one image on the entire area of one frame of the film, it is physically impossible to reduce the length of the optical system necessary for focusing the image on the film.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an optical system common to the above-described conventional systems. As is apparent from this figure, in photographing a subject S with these conventional systems, since a single image (subject image) Si is formed on a film F by a single image forming lens (including lens units) 21, a size S1.sub.0 of the image formed on the film surface is substantially the same as the entire area of the film surface, so that an optical length L.sub.0 from the lens 21 to the film surface is inevitably long.
Thus, in the case of the conventional systems, for example when a 135 mm film is used, it is necessary for the thickness of the exposing apparatus to be at least 30 mm, and it is practically impossible to produce a recording and reproducing system, an image reproducing apparatus and a camera having an exposing apparatus with a smaller thickness.